The Last Nightmare
by PiercetheNightVale
Summary: Joo Won must comfort Ra Im when she has a nightmare


She had been in this place before, both in reality and dreams, much like she was now. Gil Ra Im stood outside the elevator door, her hands just out of reach from the button that would open it. She could hear Joo Won breathing hard inside, but as always, she couldn't make her feet move. This was a familiar nightmare for her, and truly her worst fear. She hadn't known that she could feel something worse than her father's death. But this pure and complete terror was worse. At the very least, with her father, she knew he was gone and there was no undoing that. Here, she could never be sure just when the line between life and death would be crossed.

She could hear his ragged breathing just feet away from her, but she could do nothing to stop it, "Help me" he called. She could hear his breathing become quicker. He was going to hyperventilate and lose consciousness soon, "Someone, please"

She tried to call out to him, but her vocal cords wouldn't work either. "_I'm so sorry, my love." _She thought as tears began to stream down her face. She was never sure what sequence of events led to this, but she was certain it was her fault. It always was, just like the last time it had happened in real life. He was dying and it was her fault.

She was pulled out of her self-loathing by the sudden realization that silence surrounded her. The sound of Joo Won's ragged breathing was no longer deafening. Miraculously, she was able to move her feet now. Ra Im bounded forward and slammed the button with her fist. She thought she would die in the seconds it took for the door to open.

She let out a strangled cry at the sight that greeted her. Joo Won had collapsed on the ground. Sweat coated his forehead and chest where he had unbuttoned his shirt a ways, presumably to cool himself off. But the reason for her terror was the fact that his chest didn't seem to be rising or falling.

Ra Im shook herself out of her shocked stillness and slowly walked to him, "Joo Won?" she asked slowly, praying for even a small answer, "Kim Joo Won" she said a little louder this time as she kneeled down next to her.

Her hands went to his neck searching for a pulse. "Kim Joo Won" she shouted when he didn't feel anything, _no, _she thought. She pressed her ear against his chest searching for even the smallest hint of movement.

"No" she yelled as she pressed her palms against his heart, hoping desperately to restart it. "No" she yelled again when there was no response.

"No!" she yelled aloud as she shot bolt upright in her own bed. No, not her own bed. Joo Won's bed, in his house.

Her face was drenched in sweat and tears; she couldn't even differentiate between the two. She ran a hand through her hair and took a few deep breaths. She quickly looked over at Joo Won, who amazingly was still fast asleep next to her.

"Idiot" she said softly as she affectionately ran her hands through his bangs. He was alive and it had just been a dream. A horrible, terrifying dream. But a dream she'd lived through before and would probably have to again. But for some reason, tears were still leaking out of her eyes.

"Idiot," she said again, even softer and way more affectionately, "My idiot" she said as she gently cupped his cheek.

"Do you have to call me that?" he asked, his eyes still closed. Her hand froze on his face, "Because there are much better terms of endearment"

"Go back to sleep" she said. She tried in vain to wipe the tears off of her face with the hands not touching him.

Unfortunately for Ra Im, he chose that moment to open his eyes. They widened instantly at the tears. He had thought that she had just woken up in the middle of the night and accidentally brought him with her. He hadn't even considered that she was in distress. He sat up and leaned in close, looking in her eyes.

"Ra Im?" he asked, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing" she said quickly turning her head away from him.

He grabbed her shoulders and turns her around, "Gil Ra Im," he says gently, in contrast to his harsh actions, "Talk to me"

She held his gaze for as long as she could before the tears spilled over her eyes again. She just couldn't get the image of him lying there out of her mind, "It was just a nightmare" she said, "nothing real"

"It was real fear" he said, "Or you wouldn't be crying"

She couldn't think out a response, so she simply allowed him to brush the tears out of the corners of her eyes.

"Will you tell me about it?" he asked

"Joo Won…" she began to protest, but the look in his eyes told her that resistance was pointless; he would pry it out of her sooner or later. She glanced over that the clock quickly. 2:45 AM. They both going to have to go to work in a few hours, "you, actually"

"Me?" he asked incredulously, "What about me could possibly scare you?"

"You're not the one scaring me" she snapped, "It's what happens to you"

"I… don't understand" he admitted. He placed his hand in her hair and began to twirl a strand around his finger. She found it just distracting enough that she could focus on him being alive rather than dead.

"It's just… every so often I think about that day with the elevator and then I dream of it" she said, feeling stupid to have woken him up because she can't tell the difference between her mind and reality.

"This is a reoccurring thing?" he asked as his hand froze in her hair, "why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's no big deal?"

"How often?"

"Not very"

"Ra Im…"

"It used to happen every night" she admitted, "But it hasn't happened since I started sleeping here. Until tonight, I guess"

She hung her head low in embarrassment. She expected him to tell her that she was being dumb and that there was nothing to be afraid of. Instead, she was shocked by the gentleness of his voice.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked sadly

"Because… by the time it was a huge problem, we had broken up," she winced as she said broken, "and when we got back together, I never really spent many nights without you"

"Gil Ra Im," he said, "You know that that won't ever happen again."

"I know that logically," she said, "but my brain doesn't seem to agree"

He couldn't help but crack a small smile at that, "Then I guess I can't allow you to spend any more nights alone ever again"

"I think tonight has proven that it can happen when we're together"

"Im trying to be sweet and romantic," he said, trying to lighten the mood, it worked and she laughed despite herself.

"Do you know…" he said slowly, "That I worry about you every day?"

"Why?"

"Because while I go to work, you go and film," he said, "and I have no idea what dangerous stunts you're doing. I worry that I'll get another call from the Director like I did with the car accident. I worry that it will be worse"

"Joo Won" she said, gripping the hand that wasn't in her hair

"I worry about you dying and I probably have more reason to than you do"

"Joo Won," she said again, "I'm a professional"

"Professionals get hurt all the time," he replied, "And I'm terrified that the next time you get hurt, you'll be taken away from me forever"

Whatever he was going to say next was interrupted by her lips crashing into his. Joo Won always loved it when she kissed him first. Sometimes he wondered if she could possibly love him like he loved her. And every time that doubt crept into his mind, she would kiss him and he'd believe again, that she truly loved him.

This time was no different. He could feel how much Ra Im needed him. He could taste the salt from her tears on her lips. He could feel the tremors in her body as evidence of how shaken she was. She was normally so confident; it was always strange for him to see her vulnerable side.

He possessively wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her close against him. He deepened their kiss, pushing her mouth open with his tongue. He carefully pushed her down until her back lied flat against the bed and he just kissed her until his need for oxygen was impossible to ignore.

Ra Im looked up at him with a dream like glint in her eyes. Joo Won couldn't remember seeing anything so beautiful in his life. He gently brushed a strand of hair out of her face. He then rested his hand on her cheek and just soaked the sight in. he was going to get to wake up to this every day. The gorgeous Gil Ra Im, with her eyes tired and her hair disheveled in the cutest way. He was going to get to kiss her every night and hold her as she slept. And he was going to comfort her every time she was sad.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked dreamily as she covered his hand with her.

"Just how incredible lucky I am" he replied as he placed his lips on her forehead.

Ra Im shut her eyes in contentment and just enjoyed his body heat washing over her. This was her life now, and she couldn't be happier.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked

"Much"

"And you'll tell me next time you're afraid?"

"Yes," she replied.

He smiled and laid pack down next to her. It didn't take long for them both to realize just how tired they were. He carefully wrapped his arms around her torso and pressed rested his head against her chest. She wove her fingers through his hair and they both soon fell back asleep. Him to the sound of her heart beat, and her to the sound of his breathing.

And for the first time, they fell asleep to each other's noises and hoped that every night would be like this one.


End file.
